Today we’d like to introduce you to Liza Light.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Sure!
I started my guitar journey at the age of 8 years-old in Kyiv, Ukraine.
I was fortunate enough to find a great guitar mentor who recognized and highly encouraged my life-long passion for rock music and cool guitars!
Ever since I was a little girl, I had this strong understanding that one day I would somehow end up in Los Angeles. No idea how, or what, or when, just a complete confidence that that’s what going to happen, you know?
And sure enough, after graduating from jazz college in Kyiv, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity like that arose and the next thing I knew, I was on a one-way flight Kyiv – Los Angeles, moving to the States to live with my father and step-mom. I was 18 at that point.
That’s when a whole new chapter of my life began.
Being an 18yo in a completely foreign country was certainly a fun challenge, but thankfully I’ve always had unwavering support from my parents, my sisters, and my friends. Without them I would definitely be in a different place.
Los Angeles is undeniably the place to be if you’re looking to pursue a career in the music industry and that’s exactly what I was going for.
I’ve always been fascinated and inspired by session musicians and their ability to blend into different music scenes. There’s something very cool about being (to put it simply) a tool for artists to express themselves musically through.
And somehow, over the course of 6 years of living in LA, I’ve been lucky enough to establish myself as a successful hired gun.
I still have no idea how it happened, but no questions asked haha
I got to work with many wonderful artists, creatives, and musicians from all over the world and, hopefully, have given them further inspiration through my creative input on their music.
In 2022, when the war in Ukraine started, I had so much creative energy and emotions so I started my own musical project under the name Liza Light.
It’s a very interesting blend of Rock, Pop, Folk, and a little bit of Jazz with tender vocals and shredding guitar solos.
It’s been very exciting and cathartic to work on some new songs and perform live around the US!
Concluding all of the above, I’m about to turn 25 and so far it’s been a pretty wild ride, including touring, meeting new people, playing music, and everything in between!
Can’t wait to see what life has to offer next!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
If a musician says that their road wasn’t bumpy – don’t believe them! 😉
Just like in any other field, it takes extremely hard work and dedication to succeed in something and you have to face a whole lot of obstacles and challenges.
Especially if you’re a musician in Los Angeles.
But nothing that’s valuable comes easy, right?
From all kinds of day jobs and not being able to pay the rent, to just simply not getting gigs for various reasons, self-doubts, and insecurities, I’ve had it all.
And on top of that, you have to face this highly saturated market of the most skilled and experienced music professionals in the world. Very inspiring but also extremely pressuring!
Might sound super lame, but that’s exactly what you need to become a better version of yourself and learn from your mistakes.
At the end of the day, these are the experiences that form you and help you keep your head high whenever bad days come!
I’m very grateful for every challenge I had in life and definitely wouldn’t want it any other way. It simply wouldn’t be as fun!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
So being a hired guitar player, I get to do lots of different fun stuff with incredibly talented people.
I just got back from being on the road for two months. Completed three tours this fall, including touring with Zoe Ko supporting UPSAHL, a headlining tour with Rudy Wade, and a west coast run with band Blaze Francisco.
I’ve got to play many great festivals in the past, such as Austin City Limits, Palooza Fest, Surf Rodeo, Phoenix Pride, Ultimate Jam Night, and many more!
Besides doing studio session work for artists and musicians, I’ve also worked on scoring some films and TV shows, including working with Jonathan Sanford on the soundtrack for the Peacock TV show “Killing It”.
All these things are the parts of being a hired gun.
It’s certainly a lot of new music to learn on a daily basis, but once you hone that skill – it’s nothing but fun!
On average, in non-touring time, I have about 10-13 different shows per month around LA and US, so every day brings me new people and experiences. And I’m all about it!
Being a female guitarist and influencer, it’s very important for me to show how bad*ss women in music are and to earn a certain level of respect in this industry!
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My biggest cheerleaders are my parents haha! They are the most sincere and supportive people I know!
I’ve also been so blessed to have many genuine and giving people in my life, that taught me and helped me become who I am in lots of different ways.
The journey is very twisted and bumpy and I definitely wouldn’t be anywhere close to where I am right now without the continuous support of my family, friends, and people I meet along the way!
Contact Info:
- Website: lizalightmusic.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/liza_light_?r=nametag
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008311100426&mibextid=D4KYlr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lizalightmusic?_t=8eLSFZWYzBz&_r=1
Image Credits
1 – Jamie Sessions 2 – Zzyzx Photo 3 – 4 – Joe Welkie 5 – Chris Garsia 6 – Mathias Fau 7 – Jenna Houchin 8 – Jennna Houchin 9 – Chris Garsia
